Pretty little vintage inspired baubles and adornments for your ear, neck, fingers, hair & more are what you find at LinDesigns.  Lots of lovelies to choose from the Fall Collection and there’s even a sneak peek of the Winter Collection!

If you’ve been following my Twitter, you know that my kitty Pandora had been missing since last Friday.  Don’t worry she is back home now, but I was a wreck all week long until we found her…the not knowing was killing me.  Here’s the story…

She was discovered by a wonderful family of animal lovers over 2 miles from home!  Yup, 2 miles. We think she was in the engine of our car and dropped down the first chance she got, which was the first light I stopped at since leaving the driveway. At the very moment she ran from the road up onto the sidewalk, I just happened to look over, saw a black cat and thought, “Wow, that looks like my cat.” Didn’t think anything of it since my cat was at home…or so I thought.

That night, we realized she was missing and that’s when I remembered seeing a cat that looked like mine on the other side of town. So, all week long we have been putting up fliers and walking around looking for her, not only in our neighborhood, but in this other neighborhood as well.  I thought it was such a long shot that the cat I saw was actually my cat, but I couldn’t not look, you know?  Well, those fliers paid off because someone called yesterday and said they thought our little kitty was in their yard. And she was…stuck up in a tree just terrified.

Long story short, I was able to get her down and get her home all safe and sound. After eating almost 2 cans of Trader Joe’s tuna, she’s been sleeping (on the bed with us last night) for about 16 hours straight. That’s her up in that pic, isn’t she adorable?

Needless to say, we are adding a tag to her collar and getting her microchipped, since as a rescued dumpster cat we have never been able to break her of the habit of going outside.

Sandy from Mythdemeanor! put together a list of 10 great crafty supply shops for today’s 10 Things. If you have your own idea for a great 10 Things list and want to put one together, send me an email.

I love shopping on the internet, and coming from a fairly small town it’s my greatest asset when shopping for unusual or specialized craft supplies. In no particular order here are my top ten internet craft supply shopping spots:

Meadow handspun yarn from Yarmee

1. Etsy - You had to know it was coming! Etsy is not only a site for handmade finished items, but handmade supplies as well as vintage items. Why use generic plastic buttons when you can use handmade buttons that have as much love and care in them as you put into your project?

2. Dharma Trading Company - This great company out of San Rafael, CA has been supplying tie-dyers and crafters since 1969. They have the best customer service I have ever encountered anywhere and will go above and beyond to help you select items that will be perfect for your current project. They offer a variety of shipping options, an easy to use website and have items for everything from traditional fiber arts like tie-dye and batik to screen printing, print-your-own fabric and professional heat transfer. They even have un-dyed yarns and fabrics! My favorite product is their fiber-reactive dyes, which always turn out brilliantly. They also offer bulk discounts to everyone, which really go a long way for those of us with small budgets.

3. Fire Mountain Gems -Out of southern Oregon, this company has been around since 1979. They offer huge bulk discounts and have a very large range of products. All my jewelry making friends and family swear by them as the best online source for findings and beads. Keep an eye out for group orders to save even more money.

4. Dick Blick - This is another site with a large assortments of products. They have at least a basic line of products for every craft imaginable and a hefty amount of items geared towards fine artists and classroom settings. I get most of my screen printing and basic art supplies here.  The best part - they almost always have some kind of special going on, and they’re clearance section always has some useful odds and ends

5. Ebay - Okay, so I know all of us have probably had at least one bad experience on feebay. Yes, there are a lot of downsides to it, but it’s worth the hassle. It’s an invaluable resource for low priced antiques and findings like lace, buttons, silk flowers, and fabric. Just about anything you could ever want is available and you choose what you’re willing to pay for it. Bulk auctions are the best way to get bang for your buck, but make sure you don’t get cheated on shipping. Some sellers will hike it up to cover losses on what they’re selling.

6. Denver Fabrics -  This used to be the premier site for finding theatrical and unusual fabrics like powermesh, fishnet and faux leather. They’ve been taken over by new management since then and no longer have these great finds, but they do offer a large selection of low priced fabrics. While the site can be hard to navigate, the search feature could use some improvement, and shipping is often slower than on other sites, I find it’s often worth my time.  If you’re patient this site has some wonderful fabric gems.

7. Jerry Artarama - Similar to Dick Blick, this website has all kinds of basic art supplies and studio furniture. They offer awesome back to school deals every year and have a good line of budget products. I love the Pelikan travel watercolors they carry - they’re great quality and very cheap. I’ve been using my set to paint design sketches for years and they’re still as good as the day I bought them.

8. Cheep Trims - Probably my favorite notions store in the universe! They have a wide selection of bulk trims, notions - pretty much anything you could ever want. They have a minimum order of $65, but you’ll probably find 3 times that much.

9. Farthingales - Originally out of Canada, this corset supply shop has everything you could need to attempt your very own corset. They offer kits and patterns, grommets, fabrics, tapes. They even offer finished garments if you’re to skittish to try this complex craft out for yourself. If for nothing else I would love this shop for the German Plastic boning they offer. It’s much stronger than the poly-boning you can find at Jo-ann’s or Hobby Lobby and holds up much better over time.

10. Fabric.Com - This ever expanding online fabric store has one of the most extensive collections online. They carry all the big designers and have basic collections of most fabrics. I’ve been using them since they were a fairly new site (about 8 years) and have had nothing but good experiences. The now offer a large selection of notions and patterns and just added sewing machines and some basic craft supplies to the site.

That’s it for me, but feel free to share your favorite shopping spots in the comments!

Today for A Peek Inside: indie home tours, I am sharing Marisa Haedike of Creative Thursday’s home with you. I’m pretty sure most of you know who Marisa is and are as enamored with her work as I am, but for those don’t know Marissa is an artist & writer. She share her paintings, prints and other goodies in her Etsy Shop, Blogs, has written a couple of children’s books, podcasts, and teaches art courses plus plenty of other stuff too!

Marisa has shared little spinets of her home before, some on her blog and on flickr, just enough to pique my interest and make me wish for more though.  So, I asked for a tour!

1. How would you describe your designing style?

Eclectic with a European influence and a splash of color! Much of my family lives in Germany and as a child I would visit there every summer. Those trips to Europe really influenced my early sense of style. Then having worked 5 years as an interior designer greatly influenced my appreciation of color and an eclectic style. My favorite homes have always been the ones where you really have to take in all the pieces, one at a time to learn the story of how they came to be.

2. Tell us about your home. Is it an apartment or house. Is it newer or a refurbished older home? Did you completely redo it or just add some new paint?

The house we live in was built in the 1940’s. While located, literally in the middle of Los Angeles, it is one of the quietest, most beautiful little tree-lined neighborhoods in the city. It belongs to the man who was raised in it since he was 2 years old so it is a very special home. We knew it the minute we walked through the doors. You know how homes just have “a feeling”? Well this one was happy and peaceful. Since we are renting we’ve done no upgrades or painting, which as a former designer ~ it is very hard not to want to start renovating something. This is probably why we’ve been re-arranging, re-organizing and seriously de-cluttering these days instead.

3. Pick a few of your treasures and share what’s the special to you. Like your fave pillow or that 22 cup?

One of my favorite pieces is the chair in my bedroom. I bought it when I was just beginning to work in interior design. It is one of those first antique pieces I bought as a young adult developing a sense of my own style. In all my many moves and clearing out, it continues to stand the test of time and I love it to this day.
And my fave pillow! Well that’s a relatively new acquisition. It is a pillow from Urban Outiftters by the wonderful illustrator Nate Williams. You know how I love animals in art? I adore the design and the colors. It inspires me every time I look at it.

The 22 cup is also a new acquisition. From Anthropologie of course. Who among us does not love going in that store? Everything is so thoughtfully and beautifully designed down to every last detail. 2 has always been my favorite number, so well 22 is double my favorite number. Whenever I see the number 22 I get this sensation that all is well and I’m right where I need to be, so I when I saw that 22 was a number on one of these cups, I knew I had to have it as a gentle reminder every day that all is truly well. Not to mention I’m a big fan of lattes and a good cup of tea served in inspiring cups, of course!

I couldn’t complete answering this question without saying how much I treasure my growing art collection, including my own pieces. Having art, especially original art in my home is so meaningful to me and has become even more so since I started making my living as an artist. Every time I look at a piece that I bought I know that in some small way I contributed to someone else’s dream of living a creative life and doing work that they love.

4. What was your favorite project in decorating and designing your house? What would you do differently?

My favorite part of decorating is coming into a new space and making it yours. This home is the first one of all the homes I’ve lived in where I have and actual “studio” space to call my own. It is a little sun room, just off our dining room. My only wish is for it to have a door I could close sometimes, on those days when I really need some quiet and uninterrupted time to focus.

5. Color seems really important to you, was that planned or did it just happen?

When I was working as an interior designer, my first boss introduced me to the designer Tricia Guild. And that was it, I was hooked. European design style with color!

6. What’s your favorite room and why?

Since I tend to rotate around to almost every room in this house, it varies from day to day. Probably my consistent favorite is my studio because it’s where I create the most and it’s just such a cozy little space.

7. Any current or upcoming home projects?

Our current project, is our newest obsession with clearing out clutter. We are contemplating a move in the future and want to be ready. We want to be lighter going forward and you just don’t realize how many “things” are weighing you down until you start letting them go. We’ve been working on this little by little over the last two months and I can’t even begin to tell you how incredible it feels. Although I’ve tried to put into words in a recent, very long, blog post I wrote about “choosing a simpler life”.  Not a new concept, I’ve known for years how simplifying and de-cluttering is so beneficial, yet for so long I’ve avoided it. For some reason, this time, I’m taking it to a whole new level and my life, how I want to live it, and the direction I’m now headed has a clarity like never before. Amazing what a little re-organizing will do!

From the Indie Fixx Galleria — 1. Sloe Gin Fizz ~~~  2. Silver Tree Art ~~~  3. Indigo Soul ~~~  4. Jo Cheung Illustrations ~~~  5. Athena Dreams - Liz Kalloch ~~~  6. Aisyah Ang ~~~

So happy to be sharing my interview with Lisbon blogger and crafter Constança Cabral (or Concha) for this week’s Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx.

I follow Concha’s blog and her flickr pics and just love her style. You may remember I featured her lovely home for  A Peek Inside: indie home tours back in September. That was a real treat, right?

Concha’s a real sweetie too and stepped in at the last minute for me when I needed an interview for today!  Make sure to visit both her Blog and Etsy Shop.

I especially love this scrappy grocery bag dispenser tutorial from her blog.

1. What’s the name of your business, what do create and sell and how did you get your start?

Saídos da Concha is all about making things for women, babies and home by hand and with great care and attention to detail. I was so inspired when I discovered sewing blogs 3 years ago and couldn’t start making my own things fast enough!

2. Who are 3 of your favorite artists of all times?

As far as painting is concerned, it’s more about the genre than the painter itself: I love 17th century Flemish painting (portraits of everyday life). As for fashion, I’m going through a 1930’s phase; in terms of design, the more Scandinavian the better. When it comes to crafts, Amy Butler is the rockstar.

3. What blogs and mags do you read and what shops do you shop at?

I adore Selvedge magazine and read the popular design blogs. Oh, and I have to mention SouleMama for the daily inspiration and sensation of peace and harmony. As for shops, I mainly buy books (Amazon and Persephone, the London publishing house) and BBC period drama DVDs…

4. What’s your creative process like?

I start with an idea and make a rough sketch of what I wish to achieve. After that, the process is quite organic: I basically make it up as I go along.

5. What 3 things can’t you live without?

My darling husband, of course! Other than that, a sewing machine, a computer with internet connection and fabric!

6. What’s better all the money in the world or all the free time?

All the free time! I mean, I choose peace of mind, quality time with friends and family and the occasional trip over a corporate job earning loads of money.

7. What’s the best thing about what you do? And the worst?

Best: no boss and no schedule. Worst: no-one to exchange ideas with. And no schedule.

Scrappy grocery bag dispenser tutorial from Concha.